Shampoos are commonly used for cleansing hair and the coats of animals, e.g., domestic animals such as horses and cattle as well as cats and dogs. Typically it is necessary to use two or more separate products in order to cleanse, condition, and moisturize hair or an animal's coat. The need to use several different products increases the expense of shampooing hair or grooming animals.
In addition to cleansing, shampoos may also be used to treat skin problems or diseases such as fungal or bacterial infections on domestic animals. For example, disinfecting shampoos generally include the use of medicaments, such as antimicrobial agents, in order to disinfect skin, hair or the coat of the animal while at the same time providing a cleansing effect. Currently available disinfecting shampoos for use on animals, for example, are commonly based on the use of either an iodophor or chlorhexadine as the active antimicrobial agent. Daily use of shampoos containing such active agents has been known to cause drying of the skin and hair, which both limits the frequency of use of the disinfecting shampoo and requires the use of conditioners or moisturizers.
What is clearly desirable and needed in the field is a single product that can be used to disinfect, cleanse, condition, and moisturize hair or the coat of animals in a single application.